Method of knitting



Sept. 1941- JQMARKOWITZ 2,255,323

METHOD OF KNITTING FiledApril 6, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORN EY JZzck Mar/250114655 1 p 1941- J. MARKOWITZ I 2,255,323

METHOD OF KNI TT ING Filed April 6, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lN VENTOR Jaw/s: Markowit;

ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 9, 1941 UNITED J STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF KNITTING Jack Markowitz, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Pennant Knitting Mills, 1110., Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application April 6, 1940, Serial No. szalss' 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a method and machine for knitting a fabric of shirred or gathered construction, substantially of the type shown and described in my patent application for knitted fabric filed March 19, 1940, Serial No. 324,801, now Patent No. 2,201,269.

It is primarily within the contemplation of this invention to produce a fabric of the. above general description embodying therein a yarn of elastic properties in such manner that the en tire fabric is substantially in one plane when the elastic element is in its fully elongated condition, and in a gathered or puckered condition when the elastic element is permitted. to contract.

It is another object of my invention to provide a convenient means of incorporating such elastic element while in its fully elongated condition during the knitting process, and permitting such elastic element to contract to its normal.condition after the performance of the knitting steps.

In the process of incorporating such elastic elements into the body of the fabric there is the.

danger of a slipping of these elements with respect to the body yarn, when ordinary knitting methods are employeda condition which would produce an uneven bunching together of the fabric at scattered portions thereof. It is hence another object of my invention to provide a method of so tying in the elastic elements as to prevent such a slippage, thereby producing a fabric of uniform and presentable appearance.

Another object of this invention is to provide means for reinforcing the elastic elements in a fabric of the above described character.

And it is within the further contemplation of 3 my invention to accomplish the aforesaid objectives without the necessity of altering the structure of conventional circular open top knitting machines.

Other objects, features and advantages will appear from the drawings and the description hereinafter given.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 is an enlarged diagrammatic representation of one form of fabric made by the method of this invention, the elastic yarn being shown in its fully elongated condition.

Figure 2 is a semi-diagrammatic elevation of a knitting machine containing my invention adapted to knit the fabric of Figure 1. r

' Figure 3 is a side sectional view of the friction tensioner employed in the'practice of my invention for maintaining the elastic yarn in its elongated condition.

3, showing the general direction of the elastic yarn engaged thereby.

'Figurefi is a semi-diagrammatic development of a portion ofa knitting machine, preferably of the open top circular type, illustrating the arrangementof elements for the practice of my invention. I

Figures 6 and- 7 represent upper and lower positions, respectively, of a needle at a jersey stitch feed, illustrating the relative positions of the needle, yarn and sinker.

Figures 8 and 9 represent upper and lower positions, respectively, of two adjacent needles at a tuck stitch feed, showing the relative positions of the needles, yarn and sinkers.

Figures 10 and 11 represent upper and lower positions, respectively, of two adjacent needles at the elastic yarn feed, showing the relative positions of needles, yarn and sinkers.

Figures 12 and 13 represent the upper and lower positions, respectively, of needles at the-double yarn feed at which jersey stitches are made, showing also the relative positions of needles, yarn and sinkers, and

Figure 14 is a diagrammatic representation showing the position of the elongated elastic yarn with respect to the adjacent needles drawn down by the stitch cam.

In Figure 1- will be seen the various courses constituting the fabric, including jersey stitch course We containing yarn l5, jersey stitch course its containing yarn i6, tuck stitch course He containing yarn i7, jersey stitch course lSa containing yarn i8, elastic course 59a containing the elastic yarn element i9, reinforcing jersey knit course Ziia containing double yarn 20, tuck stitch course 2 la containing yarn 2 i, jersey stitch coursev 22a containing yarn 22 and jersey stitch course 23a containing yarn 23. It will thus be seen, that the fabric illustrated contains an elastic element embodied within a basic knit portion formed of body yarn which may be of jersey stitch formation. It is, however, understood that other forms and designs of stitches may be em- Figure 4 is an end view of the device of Figure Ila and 21a, respectively.

It is also preferred that a reinforcing yarn be employed, this being formed with undulatin stitches alternately disposed in front of and behind said elastic yarn it. Although a double yarn 20 is here illustrated, it is also within the contemplation of my invention to employ any other type oil-reinforcing yarn means of increased proportions or strength. It will also be observed that inasmuch as the free portions 24 and 25 of the tuck stitches in courses "a and (1, respectively, are not knitted into the fabric, short floats are formed, enabling the formation of the relatively long loops 26 and 21, respectively, the excess yarn in such loops being taken from the tuck stitches.

In producing a fabric in accordance with that illustrated in Figure 1, a conventional circular open top knitting machine 28 may be employed containing a plurality of sinkers 29 one of which understood that this invention is equally adapt-' able for use with a rotating cylinder. The yarn stand 30 is adapted to operatively support yarn cones 3| thereon, as well as the cone 32 containing the elastic yarn I9. I

It is within the contemplation of this invention to feed the elastic yarn i9 to the needles in its elongated condition, and with this end in view I provide tensioning means intermediate the yarn cone 32 and the cylinder of the machine. The tensioning means illustrated include the sinuous wire element 33 and the friction tensioner .34 through which the elastic yarn passes on its way to the needles. As the yarn I9 is drawn through the convolutions of element 33, it encounters a certain amount of frictional resistance, thereby causing the portion 35 of the yarn to be slightly elongated. The yarn I9 is thereafter engaged between the two frictionplates 36 of the tensioner 34, these plates being urged towards each other by the helical spring 31 mounted over the bolt 38. The said bolt extends through central apertures in plates 36 and is attached to portion 39 associated with the framework of the machine. The nut 40 maintains the inner of the friction plates 36 in spaced relation to ,portion 39; and the nut 4| is adapted to adjust the tension in spring 3'! soas to control the amount of frictional resistance to which the yarn i9 is subjected during its passage therepast. The nut 4i, in the practice of my invention, is so adjusted as to cause portion 42 of yarn I9 to be elongated substantially to its fullest length, so that it may be operatively incorporated into the fabric while in its stretched condition, in the manner to be more fully hereinafter set forth. Figure 5 illustrates seven feeds of the machin including one feed for laying in the elastic yarn Hi. This cycle of feeds can of course be repeated throughout the circumference of the cylinder. The needles are adapted to be operatively moved to three positions, the lowest or welt position being substantially at sinker or cast-oil level 43, the tuck position substantially at level 44 and the latch-clearing position substantially at level 45.

' In producing course l6a, the needles 46 are gradually elevated by surface 41 of cam 43 from the welt position 43 to the latch-clearing position 45, taking the yarn it below the hooks of the needles, substantially as indicated in Figure 6. Thereafter the needles are drawn down by the stitch cam 49 to the welt or casting-off level, to produce a loop, as indicated in Figure 7. The approach cam 50 thereafter elevates the needles to the position where they will be operatively received by the pattern wheel 5| which is arranged to elevate the needles alternately to latchclearing and tuck positions. The needle 52, elevated to latch-clearing position, will take the tuck yarn II, as illustrated in Figure 8, the latch being free of the previously formed loop; but the needle 53, elevated only to tuck position, will take tuck yarn I! while its latch is engaged by the previously formed loop, as shown in- Figure 8. In this manner alternate tuck and jersey stitches will be formed in this course when the needles are drawn down by stitch cam 54 to the positions illustrated in Figure 9. Thereafter thev needles are againelevated by cam 55 to the latch-clearing level 45, at which point they will take yarn ill to form a jersey stitch when drawn down by stitch cam 56.

The needles thereafter are again elevated by cam 51 until they are in a position to be operatively received by the pattern wheel 58 which is so arranged as to operatively elevate alternate needles to tuck positions, the unelevated needles remaining at welt level. The upper needles 59 will engage the elongated elastic yarn 19 at tuck level, as shown in Figures 5 and 10; but the yarn so engaged by alternate needles 59 will be above the adjacent needles 60 at welt level. Thereafter,

when the needles are drawn down by stitch cam 61, the elongated yarn i9 will be disposed underneath hooks of alternate needles 59 and behind needles 60, as indicated in Figures 11 and 14. It is apparent that after yarn i9 is operatively released from engagement with the needles, it will gradually contract as the tube of knitted fabric is drawn down. In contracting, yam [9 will carry with it the loops of interlocking stitches, producing a gathering or puckering effect. However, if the yarn I9 is not securely tied in, there may be a slipping between the interlocking loops and elastic yarn I9, thereby preventing a uniform gathering effect. To reduce the possibility of such an occurrence, I have introduced a further step of tying in the elastic yarn by a reinforcing yarn 20 which, in the preferred form of my invention, consists of a double strand of yarn as shown.

After the needles are disengaged from stitch cam 6|, they are again elevated by cam into a latch-clearing position, at which level they will take said reinforcing yarn 20, as indicated in Figures 5 and 12. Then the stitch cam 63 draws the needles down to produce jersey loops as indicated in Figure 13, thereby forming reinforcing course 20a.

Tuck stitch course 2la is thereafter formed by having cam 64 elevate the needles to a position where they will be operatively received by the pattern wheel 65 which is arranged to elevate the needles alternately to latch-clearing and tuck positions, whereafter they are drawn down by stitch cam 66 to begin a new cycle.

It will be observed (see Figure 1) that the elastic yarn i9 extends in a straight line alternately behind loops-20b of the double yarn 20 in one wale, and between the single and double yarn loops 26 and 21 in the next wale. And it will be further observed that the regions Nb of the elastic yarn C9 are firmly tied in between the long loops 26 and 2'1, thereby preventing slippage between the elastic and the interlocking yarns. The use of the relatively heavy double yam 2t enhances this tying-in effect, inasmuch as that portion of loop 2'! behind region 8912 is sufliciently bulky to force elastic yarn it against loop 26; and in this manner said loops 26 and 21 cooperate to frictionally hold the elastic yarn against slippage. Furthermore, the double yarn 20 or the equivalent thereof serves the additional purpose of reinforcing the fabric at the region of the elastic strands i9.

It is thus apparent that by the method of this invention, shirred fabrics can be readily produced on a conventional circular open top knitting machine, the puckers being uniformly distributed due to the special method of tying in the elastic yarn. I

It is of course understood that other additional forms and modifications of the apparatus and adaptations of the method constituting this invention can be employed beyond and in addition to those hereinabove described, all within the scope of the appended claims. V i

What I claim is:

1. In a method of knitting on a circular opentop latch needle machine, the steps of elevating successive needlesto yarn taking positions, operatively supplying yarn to said needles, drawing down said needles to a casting-off level for operatively knitting previously formed stitches, elevating certain of said needles substantially to tuck level, operatively supplying to said elevated needles stretched elastic yarn, depressing the needles to a casting-off level thereby forming floats of the stretched elastic yarn across the needles that were not elevated at the tuck feed, elevating the needles to a latch-clearing position, operatively supplying a double strand of reinforcing yarn to the needles at said latter position, and drawing down the needles to a 'casting-ofi position for tying in with said reinforeing yarn the stretched elasticyarn.

2. In a method of knitting on a circular opentop latch needle machine, the steps of elevating successive needles alternately to latch-clearing and tuck levels, operatively supplying yarn to said needles, drawing down said needles to a casting-off level for operatively knitting alternate loops of previously formed stitches, elevating the needles to yarn taking positions, operatively supplying yarn to said needles, drawing down said needles to a casting-01f level for operatively knitting previously formed stitches, elevating certain of said needles to tuck level, operatively supplying to said elevated needles stretched elastic yarn, depressing the needles to a casting-off level thereby forming floats of the stretched elastic yarn across the needles that were not elevated at the last-mentioned tuck feed, elevating the needles to a latch-clearing position, operatively supplying reinforcing yarn to the needles at said latter position, drawing down the needles to a casting-01f position for tying in with said reinforcing yarn the stretched elastic yarn, thereafter elevating successive needles alternately. to latch-clearing and tuck levels, operatively supplying yarn to the needles, and drawing down said needles to a casting-01f level for operatively knitting alternate loops of the said reinforcing yarn, whereby there will be a course of tuck stitches on either side of and in adjacent relation to the elastic yarn course.

, JACK MARKOWI'IZ. 

